Catholic Nuns File Brief Supporting Affordable Care Act

Photo by Dev Carr

Madeleine Albright once said, "There is a special place in hell for women who don't help other women." And Catholic nuns must believe it, because they recently filed a brief with the Supreme Court declaring their support for the Affordable Care Act.

In their brief, which conflicts with the opposition from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the sisters cite their extensive work with the poor. They write:

The work by Amici [the group that represents women's religious orders in the U.S.] gives them a unique perspective on the unmet healthcare needs of the poor, as well as on the positive impact that will result from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. . . .

Amici have witnessed firsthand the national crisis that prompted Congress to pass the ACA. In particular, Amici have seen the devastating impact of the lack of affordable health insurance and healthcare on women, children, and other vulnerable members of society.

I can't find any explicit mention of birth control in their brief, which deals mostly with issues of Medicaid. But the message behind the brief seems clear: The Affordable Care Act helps the poor, and they're not going to let politics derail it. They also hint at the fact that they're the ones actually working with the poor, not the bishops.

Amici have filed briefs with the Supreme Court in support of the Affordable Care Act before, so this isn't really anything new. But it seems that, in light of the USCCB's recent outrage, their newest brief says, "The USCCB doesn't speak for us."